Against the Tide Imperial: The Struggle for Ceylon (The Usurper's War: An Alternative World War II B by James Young (story reading txt) 📕

States Marine Corps, observed drily as a crane lifted the last of his squadron’s FM-2 Wildcats aboard the escort carrier U.S.S. Chenango.

Got birds just in time to put them on a ship and catch a ride to Pearl Harbor. His squadron had been without aircraft for much of the previous three months.

“I think it’d be easier with her than some other vessels,” Captain Samuel Cobb, his squadron deputy, replied grimly. Converted from an oiler hull, the Chenango was actually a fairly long vessel as escort carriers went. Although not even an untrained eye would mistake her for a fleet carrier, Adam could appreciate that the Navy wasn’t sending his squadron to the Pacific in one of the “floating coffins” that he’d watched depart for parts unknown two weeks before.

I think both the Cobb brothers would have mutinied if they had, Adam thought, glancing sideways up at Sam. Which would be a whole lot of man to try and force on a vessel.

Sam and his twin brother, David, had been formerly assigned to VMF-14. Their unit had been almost completely annihilated when a Japanese I-boat torpedoed the U.S.S. Long Island. Although both of the large men were putting on a strong front, Adam had the feeling neither was pleased about returning to Hawaii.

Of course, I’m not pleased about having to land on a damned postage stamp in the middle of the ocean. The Navy had initiated a crash course for he and any other Marine who had not qualified on carrier landings during their induction process. As a man who had been in his fair share of combat and then some, landing on a carrier was still the most terrifying thing Adam had done.

“Are you still planning on giving the squadron three day’s liberty?” Sam asked. The question startled Adam, as Sam had struck him as someone who did not care much about such things.

“I imagine I will, yes,” Adam replied. “You and your brother going somewhere?”

Sam laughed.

“I guess he didn’t tell you yet,” Sam said. “Sadie has finally arrived in Seattle.”

Adam face broke into a broad smile.

“About damn time,” he stated flatly. “I thought I was going to have to get you brother out of jail if personnel had screwed up his dependent paperwork one more time.”

“Can’t really blame them given that those idiots in Honolulu screwed up the marriage certificate,” Sam allowed. “Not that I’d tell David that to his face.”

David and Sadie Cobb had gotten married just before the two brothers were bundled off to the West Coast at Vice Admiral Halsey’s explicit direction. Realizing that it had only been dumb happenstance that three of the four Cobb brothers had not been slain in less than thirty days, Halsey had clearly believed sending the twins on a war bonds tour through Washington State was a way to keep them safe. Sam and David had short circuited that plan by accosting Adam in a restaurant

“Wise plan,” Adam observed. “I still remember the suicidal moron who was flippant about her not being on the President Coolidge.”

Sam chuckled, and the sound was surprisingly dark. The Coolidge had been carrying the first load of dependents from Hawaii when she pulled into Bremerton. Due to wartime secrecy, Sadie had not been able to inform Sam that she’d been bumped from the vessel due to her paperwork not being in order. The Navy lieutenant in charge of the manifest had basically implied that maybe the newest Mrs. Cobb had gotten cold feet and decided not to join her husband after all.

“Only reason there wasn’t a murder was we were raised not to hit a woman,” Sam stated. “I still think that nurse had probably never received such a thorough butt-chewing without a single word of profanity.”

“I think Vice Admiral Halsey underestimated you yahoos when he sent you here,” Adam said. “You probably would have been just fine if you’d stayed in Hawaii.”

Sam shrugged.

“He was trying to do us a favor. Plus, I don’t think the Navy wanted another publicity black eye after losing those brothers on the Arizona and West Virginia. Apparently those five brothers on the Juneau got split up as well.”

“So any idea where your other brothers are?” Adam asked.

“Eric’s off somewhere with the Yorktown,” Sam said. “Last letter we got from him mentioned the Indian Ocean.”

Adam gave Sam a cocked eyebrow at that one.

That’s a bit of a security breach.

“Not in so many words,” Sam hurried to explain, correctly reading his commander’s look. “Toots used to love running around in moccasins when we were kids. He mentioned he was off to get her some new shoes out of the ocean.”

Adam shook his head.

“As for Nick, who knows?” Sam said. “No one’s heard from him since he went aboard Plunger. His fiancée was nervous for some reason, and I heard the sub’s last executive officer cracked up because her captain was insane.”

“Isn’t that like saying water’s wet?” Adam asked, incredulous.

“I don’t follow?”

“You’re talking about a group of men who, of their own free will, get into a big metal can and dive hundreds of feet under the ocean,” Adam explained. “I know I’m not exactly one to talk about rational choices, but that seems a bit mad to me.”

Sam shrugged.

“Nick says it’s not all that crazy unless you screw up. He’s always been kind of vague about what that means.”

“I imagine anything that lets more water into the submarine than the captain intended would be a screw up,” Adam replied. “There’s a reason I prefer flying to anything to do with water.”

Sam looked up at the carrier, then back at Adam.

“So I’m guessing you’re about as upset about this as David and I are?”

“Not quite,” Adam replied.

A young lieutenant exited the Chenango’s gang plank and started looking around. Tall and gangly, the man scanned the dock, his face somewhat concerned. Seeing Adam and Sam, the officer strode over and saluted.

“Major Haynes, I am Lieutenant Palmer, Officer of the Watch,” the man said. “Captain Damon sends his compliments, and understands we will not